


Smile!

by Vandereer



Series: Flash fiction prompts [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Abusive Parents, Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vandereer/pseuds/Vandereer
Summary: Pudding is sick of smiling.
Relationships: Charlotte Pudding & Charlotte "Big Mom" Linlin
Series: Flash fiction prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728745
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	Smile!

Pudding’s cheeks hurt.

She’s been smiling since the early hours of the morning, since Mama’s tea parties are all-day affairs. Whenever Mama throws one, Pudding is expected to be there; to dance and smile and entertain the guests. 

She can’t actually remember the last time she smiled because she was genuinely happy.

She’s learned to dread them, when her own smile feels so forced and fake that she only expects the same out of other people’s. The expression doesn’t mean anything to her but ‘I am trying to encourage you to like me, to _trust me_!’

As soon as the party wraps up, Pudding makes her escape back to her room. She sits in front of her dressing table and massages her cheeks. Her face loosens into a rubbery scowl as she rubs the creases either side of her mouth. The thought of having laughter lines some day _sickens_ her.

  
Mama wears a smile whenever she wants something out of Pudding, a wide shark-ish pull of the lips that reveals her yellow teeth - stained from eating so many sweets.

And she _always_ wants something, the same thing in fact;

“Have your powers awakened yet?”

Pudding sighs. “ _No_ , mama.”

“Ah well, there’s always time! Wouldn’t it be lovely if they awoke in time for your eighteenth birthday?”  
“Yes, mama.”

Big Mom chuckles ‘mama mama!’ to herself and hums a little song with a vacant look in her eyes, no doubt planning future parties. 

Pudding is certain that all of her past birthday parties have been pre-emptive ‘Poneglyph deciphering’ parties, for whenever the wretched power in her finally decides to awaken. Only a handful of her brothers and sisters even remembered to bring her gifts, gifts that weren’t books on mental exercises anyway.

When Mama remembers Pudding’s presence again, she reaches down and pinches her cheek between her enormous fingers, her manicured pink nails digging in painfully.

“Remember to smile, Pudding my dear! You know how much Mama loves your smile!”  
“...Yes, Mama.”

After _that_ little meeting, Pudding storms back to her room. She slumps into the seat in her in front of her dresser again, pulling and pinching at her cheeks until her skin is scratched and raw. 

“Mama loves your smile, Pudding!” She growls at herself in the mirror. “Mama just LOVES your smile! Maybe I don’t _want_ to smile all the time!” She switches from pinching her cheeks to grabbing handfuls of her hair.

_Maybe sometimes, just sometimes, all I want to do is_ **_this!_ **

Pudding pulls down hard on her hair, and _screams._

**Author's Note:**

> I take CC.


End file.
